Peter Hamby
- Chief National Correspondent, Puck
- Host, The Powers That Be: Daily
- Host, Good Luck America
Los Angeles
Chief National Correspondent @PuckNews. Snap + CNN alum. Board @ShorensteinCtr. Hoya. RVA homer. How Twitter changed politics: tinyurl.com/4af5sbbm
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Articles by Peter Hamby
Midterm Watch 2026!: An Early Election-Night Cheat Sheet
This year’s midterm election cycle is already historic, with both parties shattering spending records as Democrats push the fight to retake Congress deep into G.O.P. territory. A blue wave is threatening to crash over districts that Donald Trump won by up to 20 points in 2024. Meanwhile, seven Senate seats are pure toss-ups, including five states that Trump carried by double digits two years ago. Of course, some races are more important than others.
Tim Miller Predicts a “Blue Tsunami” in the Midterms
It’s now one week until Election Day, and there’s close to zero likelihood that anything in the final few days will alter the trajectory of competitive Senate, House, and gubernatorial races. Yes, it’s possible that the final avalanche of Republican ad spending in big races has staved off Democratic advances in red territory.
Hegseth Impeachment Bloodlust & Hakeem’s Two-Step
At a campaign rally this week in Orange County, inside a training hall for the powerful Local 714 Carpenters Union and five miles away from Disneyland, a parade of California Democrats stepped to the mic and called for retribution. “We’re going to hold the crooks accountable!” said Rep. Nanette Barragán, who drove over from nearby San Pedro. “Trump and his billionaire friends and donors are stealing your money,” said Rep.
Hegseth Impeachment Bloodlust & Hakeem’s Two-Step
At a campaign rally this week in Orange County, inside a training hall for the powerful Local 714 Carpenters Union and five miles away from Disneyland, a parade of California Democrats stepped to the mic and called for retribution. “We’re going to hold the crooks accountable!” said Rep. Nanette Barragán, who drove over from nearby San Pedro. “Trump and his billionaire friends and donors are stealing your money,” said Rep.
Hegseth Impeachment Bloodlust & Hakeem’s Two-Step
At a campaign rally this week in Orange County, inside a training hall for the powerful Local 714 Carpenters Union and five miles away from Disneyland, a parade of California Democrats stepped to the mic and called for retribution. “We’re going to hold the crooks accountable!” said Rep. Nanette Barragán, who drove over from nearby San Pedro. “Trump and his billionaire friends and donors are stealing your money,” said Rep.
Hegseth Impeachment Bloodlust & Hakeem’s Two-Step
At a campaign rally this week in Orange County, inside a training hall for the powerful Local 714 Carpenters Union and five miles away from Disneyland, a parade of California Democrats stepped to the mic and called for retribution. "We're going to hold the crooks accountable!" said Rep. Nanette Barragán, who drove over from nearby San Pedro. "Trump and his billionaire friends and donors are stealing your money," said Rep.
A Medicare for All Reality Check
There’s been plenty of big talk from progressives on the campaign trail this year about enacting Medicare for All—a single-payer, government-run healthcare program for every American. But getting a new entitlement program through Congress is, to put it mildly, the longest of long shots. As my colleague Marianna Sotomayor reported the other week, centrist groups are racing to redirect the party’s energy toward more-moderate goals.
Trump’s Midterm Polls Look Worse Than Bush’s in 2006
Exactly 20 years ago, an unpopular president and his compliant Republican Congress were blundering their way through a hated foreign war, headlines about political corruption and self-enrichment, and a voting public that spent most of the year stressed out over record-high gas prices. You’ll never guess what happened next!
No Country for the Old Manosphere
You could publish a Mad Libs game with all the words that have been used to rationalize why young men bailed on Democrats in 2024 and voted for Donald Trump: wokeness, the manosphere, Zyns, video games, crypto, fitness, TikTok, etcetera. Culture was certainly a part of the story. Trump had a wide-open lane with young men while running against a Democratic Party constipated by its addiction to cringey H.R.-speak. Anyone else remember White Dudes for Harris?
How Trump Lost Gen Z Men
You could publish a Mad Libs game with all the words that have been used to rationalize why young men bailed on Democrats in 2024 and voted for Donald Trump: wokeness, the manosphere, Zyns, video games, crypto, fitness, TikTok, etcetera. Culture was certainly a part of the story. Trump had a wide-open lane with young men while running against a Democratic Party constipated by its addiction to cringey H.R.-speak. Anyone else remember White Dudes for Harris?
The Men Who Regret Trump—But Won’t Vote Blue
Nearly two years after Donald Trump’s reelection, most autopsies of the 2024 race still miss the real reason for his historic victory. MAGA types, of course, insist that Democrats were too woke. Democrats can’t stop litigating Kamala Harris’s political talents and Joe Biden’s baffling decision to run for a second term as a sundowning octogenarian hobbled by inflation. Or was it Biden’s stalwart support for Israel’s war in Gaza? Media junkies focus on how Trump did more podcasts than Harris.
Finally, Democrats Are Ready to Go Low
Back in May, after Democrats picked James Talarico as their Senate nominee in Texas, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller decided to weigh in. “The Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender senate candidate,” Miller posted on X, alluding to Talarico’s enthusiastic pro-trans statements over the years.
The Clip Economy’s Trench Warfare, D.N.C. Style
Back in May, after Democrats picked James Talarico as their Senate nominee in Texas, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller decided to weigh in. "The Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender senate candidate," Miller posted on X, alluding to Talarico's enthusiastic pro-trans statements over the years. During Donald Trump's first term, liberals on social media might have replied to Miller's trolling with anger, profanity, name-calling, or just sadness.
Iowa’s G.O.P. Kingmaker Talks ’28
A lifetime ago, in 2024, Donald Trump won Iowa by 13 points—the largest presidential landslide in the state in half a century. But his tariff actions and the Iran war have screwed with agriculture-minded Iowans in very specific ways, affecting soybean exports, potash imports, and diesel prices—not to mention the everyday cost pressures facing voters at stores and gas stations.
Inside Each Party’s Midterm Ad Spending Strategy
James Talarico dropped a punchy new ad in Texas this week against his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton. In an amusing send-up of House Hunters, a befuddled narrator walks us through the 15—that’s right, 15!—homes that Paxton owns in Texas, Utah, Hawaii, and elsewhere. “Ken Paxton owns 15 properties, valued at approximately $9 million, even though he makes just $153,000 annually as attorney general,” the spot says. “Vote for James Talarico. He has one house.”
Inside Each Party’s Midterm Ad Spending Strategy
James Talarico dropped a punchy new ad in Texas this week against his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton. In an amusing send-up of House Hunters, a befuddled narrator walks us through the 15—that's right, 15!—homes that Paxton owns in Texas, Utah, Hawaii, and elsewhere. "Ken Paxton owns 15 properties, valued at approximately $9 million, even though he makes just $153,000 annually as attorney general," the spot says. "Vote for James Talarico.
Dems’ New Mexico Trinity Test
Last week, as I was preparing to sit down with New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for my new podcast, The Making of a President, I was also scanning the latest reams of mediocre polling data about her party. Democrats are practically euphoric these days, with all the available evidence pointing to a blue wave in November: swingy voter forecasts, morose background quotes from G.O.P. operatives, Republican groups bailing on hopeless candidates in key battlegrounds.
What Democrats Can Learn From New Mexico in the 2028 Primary
Last week, as I was preparing to sit down with New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for my new podcast, The Making of a President, I was also scanning the latest reams of mediocre polling data about her party. Democrats are practically euphoric these days, with all the available evidence pointing to a blue wave in November: swingy voter forecasts, morose background quotes from G.O.P. operatives, Republican groups bailing on hopeless candidates in key battlegrounds.
A.O.C.’s Curious Red-State Handshake
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made an unusual endorsement this week. As she traveled through upstate New York, campaigning for midterm candidates—and publicly weighing a Senate bid or a 2028 presidential campaign—Ocasio-Cortez also announced that she was backing Tom Perriello, no one’s idea of a democratic socialist, down south in Virginia’s 5th congressional district.
Democrats Fire Up the Youth Vote for the Midterms
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made an unusual endorsement this week. As she traveled through upstate New York, campaigning for midterm candidates—and publicly weighing a Senate bid or a 2028 presidential campaign—Ocasio-Cortez also announced that she was backing Tom Perriello, no one's idea of a democratic socialist, down south in Virginia's 5th congressional district.
Washington’s Age of A.I. Anxiety
After years of muddled messaging and Luddite language, politicians are finally starting to address the rising tide of A.I. anxiety coursing through the electorate. Some of the pivots are convenient. Look at Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott, facing a ferocious challenge from Democrat Gina Hinojosa, has gone from being a data center cheerleader to ordering a halt on new environmental permits.
Newsom’s Paramount Puppetry & Hinson’s Trump Stiff-Arm
Progressives might be furious at California Attorney General Rob Bonta for settling his antitrust lawsuit against Paramount’s long-gestating acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. But they’re also peeved at prospective presidential candidate Gavin Newsom, who, I’m told, had a very hands-on role in the settlement. “Gavin Newsom hands huge win to Trump and his billionaire cronies,” tweeted actor Mark Ruffalo, a vocal opponent of the merger.
The Siege of Troy
Presque Isle, Maine, a small community just 20 miles from the Canadian border, is a bucolic little place known for fall foliage, snowmobiling, and a junior ice hockey team called the Northern Maine Pioneers. The town’s tourism officer boasts that Presque Isle is “a place where every season brings new adventures and memories.” Unfortunately for the good people of Presque Isle, it is election season, and the memories surely won’t be great.
Spending Big to Sway Small-Town America
Presque Isle, Maine, a small community just 20 miles from the Canadian border, is a bucolic little place known for fall foliage, snowmobiling, and a junior ice hockey team called the Northern Maine Pioneers. The town's tourism officer boasts that Presque Isle is "a place where every season brings new adventures and memories." Unfortunately for the good people of Presque Isle, it is election season, and the memories surely won't be great.
Has Trump Lost the Manosphere?
When I was drafting the concept for The Making of a President, my new podcast about the inner workings of the 2028 presidential campaign, I had one core goal. I wanted to talk to the most consequential insiders in both parties. And there was one Republican I had my eye on for the second episode, which dropped today: Alex Bruesewitz, the wunderkind social media strategist and content maestro for Donald Trump’s successful 2024 campaign.
The A.I. Freakout Is Getting Political
It turned out to be an auspicious week for a pair of Democrats to launch a super PAC focused on rising fears that A.I. will kill us all. “The alarm bells keep getting louder,” said Karthik Ganapathy, who, along with his fellow Millennial strategist Rob Flaherty, announced the creation this week of Tomorrow Together, a group dedicated to helping Democrats establish themselves as the party that gets it right on A.I. while heading into the 2028 presidential race.
Rahm Emanuel’s Case for Reviving Clintonism
When I was kicking around ideas for whom to book as the debut guest on The Making of a President, my new video-first podcast about the 2028 campaign, a Democratic friend of mine cracked that I should talk to Rahm Emanuel. This person isn’t a Rahm critic (there are plenty of those on the left). Rather, he was making a joke about how available for comment the former White House chief of staff has been in recent months.
Democrats’ Field of Dreams
Iowa’s Democratic candidate for Senate, Josh Turek, has spent the summer decorating his fiscally liberal campaign with conservative-coded flourishes—he visited the goat barn at the Lucas County Fair; unveiled a “Republicans for Turek” coalition in his hometown of Council Bluffs; and bluntly told a reporter in Cedar Rapids that he doesn’t want Kamala Harris to stump for him.
Can Democrats Actually Win Back Iowa in 2026?
Iowa's Democratic candidate for Senate, Josh Turek, has spent the summer decorating his fiscally liberal campaign with conservative-coded flourishes—he visited the goat barn at the Lucas County Fair; unveiled a "Republicans for Turek" coalition in his hometown of Council Bluffs; and bluntly told a reporter in Cedar Rapids that he doesn't want Kamala Harris to stump for him.
Bridge Over Troubled Watters
When Pete Buttigieg addressed the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, he introduced himself as one of the audience’s favorite cable news talking heads: “I’m Pete Buttigieg, and you might recognize me from Fox News.” It was a winking, throwaway line, but one that got to the heart of his unlikely crossover success as the rare Democrat—and an openly gay one, at that—who had discovered how to appeal to MAGA America.
Abdul El-Sayed on Giving a Bully His Comeuppance
When Pete Buttigieg addressed the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, he introduced himself as one of the audience's favorite cable news talking heads: "I'm Pete Buttigieg, and you might recognize me from Fox News." It was a winking, throwaway line, but one that got to the heart of his unlikely crossover success as the rare Democrat—and an openly gay one, at that—who had discovered how to appeal to MAGA America.
Natalie Harp & The Ossoff Principle
Throughout his extremely viral Senate reelection campaign in Georgia, Jon Ossoff has been showered with praise—and dollars—from Democrats beguiled by the haymakers he’s been throwing at Donald Trump. Ossoff’s speeches, carefully scripted and strategically dispersed across social media platforms by his ace video team, have vaulted him into the 2028 presidential conversation.
Democrats’ Branding Crisis & The Groyper Media Myth
A few days ago, I wrote about the perception gap between Democrats and all voters when it comes to some of the rising stars of the progressive left. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Zohran Mamdani, the D.S.A.—Democratic voters hold them all in pretty high esteem, our polling partners at Echelon Insights found, even though there are doubts about the national palatability of their brands in a presidential election. To wit: A.O.C.’s favorable rating among Democrats is 67 percent.
The Democrats Uncovered in a Word Cloud
A few days ago, I wrote about the perception gap between Democrats and all voters when it comes to some of the rising stars of the progressive left. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Zohran Mamdani, the D.S.A.—Democratic voters hold them all in pretty high esteem, our polling partners at Echelon Insights found, even though there are doubts about the national palatability of their brands in a presidential election. To wit: A.O.C.'s favorable rating among Democrats is 67 percent.
Americans Aren’t Loving the New Left
The Democratic Party has always struggled to reconcile its radical id and moderate ego. But not since George McGovern’s calamitous loss in 1972 have the passions of the left flank been so risky to the party’s viability in a presidential election as they are today.
YouTube ’28 & The Search for the Swing Voter
Priorities USA, one of the largest Democratic super PACs, has placed all its chips on the 2028 campaign, under the theory that someone on the blue team needs to be devoting resources to making ads that scuff up J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio while the party sorts through its own family-feud primary fight.
Entering Through the Back Door: Using Chatbots to Influence Voters
Priorities USA, one of the largest Democratic super PACs, has placed all its chips on the 2028 campaign, under the theory that someone on the blue team needs to be devoting resources to making ads that scuff up J.D. Vance or Marco Rubio while the party sorts through its own family-feud primary fight.
Inside the G.O.P.’s Secret Francesca Hong Oppo File
Francesca Hong’s primary loss in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary wasn’t just a blow for the socialist left—it’s also a bummer for the Republicans who were salivating over running against her this fall.
What Went Wrong for Francesca Hong
There are two big questions flying around the political world today, after democratic socialist and woke poster Francesca Hong blew a seemingly invincible lead in the Wisconsin governor’s race. How did the polls—which showed Hong with a roughly 20-point lead—get the race so wrong? And how did Hong fumble the ball on the one-yard line?
How to Win the Democratic Nomination in 2028
Please forgive my obsession with the Democrats and their 2028 nominating calendar. But like a lot of our favorite subjects here at Puck—David Zaslav, Bari Weiss, Chris Licht—these primary states are set to be recurring main characters in the news cycle.
A.O.C.’s Reality Check
With leftist insurgents like Melat Kiros and Darializa Avila Chevalier rising in Democratic primaries this year, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has increasingly become the focus of 2028 presidential chatter as the future standard-bearer of the progressive left in a post-Bernie world. A.O.C.’s name has been thrown in Democratic horse-race polls, showing her ticking up in primary states like New Hampshire.
The Unknown Senator: Darline Graham’s Fight to Earn Her Seat
Naturally, Darline Graham was the main character yesterday at her brother’s memorial services inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and Washington National Cathedral. She was there not just as Lindsey Graham’s grieving kid sister, but also as the newest member of the U.S. Senate, appointed to fill the vacant seat through the rest of her late brother’s term. Graham, in tears throughout the ceremonies, did not offer a eulogy for her brother.
Ossoff’s L.A. Play & The D.S.A. Shrug
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff will be in Brentwood on Friday at a fundraiser for his reelection campaign hosted by some big-time L.A. Democratic donors, including power players in the city’s Jewish community. Notably, the impressive host committee suggests that Ossoff has some mighty fundraising connections in Los Angeles, should he ever decide to take his act to the national stage.
How Will the Reshuffled Early State Voting Impact D.N.C. Candidates?
For Democrats, the geography of the 2028 primary campaign is finally coming into view. On Friday, the Democratic National Committee's powerful Rules and Bylaws Committee—49 party insiders who care a lot about quorums and resolutions—tentatively approved a new and wide-open calendar for the presidential nominating fight. In the process, the usually dysfunctional Democrats seem to have discovered something elusive and rare in their unruly coalition: consensus.
And the Early 2028 Primary Winner Is…
For Democrats, the geography of the 2028 primary campaign is finally coming into view. On Friday, the Democratic National Committee’s powerful Rules and Bylaws Committee—49 party insiders who care a lot about quorums and resolutions—tentatively approved a new and wide-open calendar for the presidential nominating fight.
So Much Drama in the R.B.C.
All the crosswinds tugging at the Democratic Party in the Donald Trump era—race, class, Gaza, media tactics, organized labor, impatient young voters, culture wars, even the legacy of Joe Biden—will be reckoned with this week inside a dreary conference room in the bowels of a Washington hotel. A meeting of the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee might not sound like it heralds high drama.
Brian Tyler Cohen Brings New Media to Democrats
Almost a decade ago, Brian Tyler Cohen came out of nowhere to build one of the most fearsome media machines on the progressive left, flooding his various channels with anti-Trump lib-rage explainer videos annotating the manic political news cycle for his millions of followers.
Brian Tyler Cohen Brings New Media to Democrats
Almost a decade ago, Brian Tyler Cohen came out of nowhere to build one of the most fearsome media machines on the progressive left, flooding his various channels with anti-Trump lib-rage explainer videos annotating the manic political news cycle for his millions of followers.
The Art of the Self-Deal
Corruption has been creeping up as a concern for voters in the second Trump administration. In December of 2024, just before Trump’s inauguration, only 8 percent of Americans named “political corruption” as the biggest issue facing the country, according to our polling partners at Echelon Insights. At the time, voters were more anxious about the cost of living, jobs, the state of democracy, and immigration. One year later, however, the corruption number had crept up to 14 percent. Today?
Voters Are Finally Starting to Care About Trump’s Corruption
Voters Are Finally Starting to Care About Trump’s Corruption Updated Wed, July 15, 2026 at 8:17 PM UTC Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Voters Are Finally Starting to Care About Trump’s Corruption Key takeawaysPowered by Yahoo Scout. Yahoo is using AI to generate key points from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
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