Former Washington Post. Books: The World’s Fastest Man (Cyclist Major Taylor); Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War; Trump Revealed (co-author)
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Michael Kranish
In 1990, a bipartisan Congress passed historic bills. Then it cracked apart.
In 1990, a bipartisan Congress passed historic bills. Then it cracked apart. (washingtonpost.com) In 1990, a bipartisan Congress passed historic bills. Then it cracked apart. By Michael Kranish 2026041109020200 On March 12, 1990, 8-year-old Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins took off her leg braces, abandoned her wheelchair and crawled up the marble steps of the U.S. Capitol.
40 years later, a new look at lessons from the Challenger disaster
Ashigh schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe prepared to be strapped into the space shuttle Challenger, Brian Russell, an official at the company that built the craft’s solid rocket boosters, had just participated in a fateful teleconference from his Utah headquarters.
40 years later, a new look at lessons from the Challenger disaster
As high school teacher Christa McAuliffe prepared to be strapped into the space shuttle Challenger, Brian Russell, an official at the company that built the crafts solid rocket boosters, had just participated in a fateful teleconference from his Utah headquarters.
Trump’s library plan: An iconic building in Miami and a ‘fake news wing’
Eric Trump sounded triumphant after Florida officials recently approved giving away a prized piece of Miami real estate for his father’s presidential library.
Trumps library plan: An iconic building in Miami and a fake news wing
Eric Trump sounded triumphant after Florida officials recently approved giving away a prized piece of Miami real estate for his fathers presidential library. I got the library approved yesterday, Trump said on a podcast, adding that we just got the greatest site in Florida and Im going to be building that. Then, speaking on another program, Trump said he would take the hosts suggestion to create a fake news wing paid for with money from lawsuit settlements with ABC, CBS and other sources.
The case of a felon who paid lobbyists nearly $1 million to seek a Trump pardon
The case of a felon who paid lobbyists nearly $1 million to seek a Trump pardon (washingtonpost.com) The case of a felon who paid lobbyists nearly $1 million to seek a Trump pardon By Michael Kranish; Aaron Schaffer 2025112311000000 In April, Alina Habba, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, extolled her office's role in the sentencing of a former nursing home magnate to three years in prison for defrauding the government of $38 million.
President gives second pardon to Jan. 6 participant and pardons two others
President Donald Trump on Friday issued a second pardon to Daniel Edwin Wilson, whom he had previously pardoned for participation in the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but was in prison on a separate gun charge. The action was announced Saturday morning. Trump also pardoned Suzanne Kaye, who had been sentenced to 18 months in prison for threatening FBI agents who wanted to speak to her about her whereabouts on Jan. 6. And, in a case unrelated to Jan.
Trump gives second pardon to Jan. 6 participant and pardons two others
Trump gives second pardon to Jan. 6 participant and pardons two others (washingtonpost.com) Trump gives second pardon to Jan. 6 participant and pardons two others By Michael Kranish 2025111522523600 President Donald Trump on Friday issued a second pardon to Daniel Edwin Wilson, whom he had previously pardoned for participation in the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but was in prison on a separate gun charge. The action was announced Saturday morning.
How the Declaration of Independence inspired the world despite Jefferson’s contradictions on slavery
How the Declaration of Independence inspired the world despite Jefferson’s contradictions on slavery (washingtonpost.com) How the Declaration of Independence inspired the world despite Jefferson’s contradictions on slavery By Michael Kranish 2025110210003000 Historian Andrew Davenport arrived at Monticello with an extraordinary background: He knew that at the very moment Thomas Jefferson wrote a book called "Notes on the State of Virginia" that ridiculed Black people, the author of the...
The revolution hinged on many issues, including hunger for western lands
The revolution hinged on many issues, including hunger for western lands (washingtonpost.com) The revolution hinged on many issues, including hunger for western lands By Michael Kranish 2025110210001000 After the Revolution, Thomas Jefferson would write that he was inspired by what he called a "trinity of the three greatest men the world has ever produced." He hung portraits of these leading British thinkers of the Enlightenment in his parlor: John Locke, Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton.
How a young Jefferson’s plea to the King helped ignite America’s fight for independence
Prologue On Sept. 30, 1941, Thomas Jefferson’s great-great grandson joined six other men for a private meeting at a Washington art gallery. The group’s mission was to choose quotes from the author of the Declaration of Independence to be etched into the memorial under construction at the Tidal Basin.
Jefferson said Norfolk must be destroyed - and records reveal the Patriots burned much of it themselves
Thomas Jefferson was in Philadelphia at the Continental Congress when he learned that Virginia’s royal governor, Lord Dunmore, had fled Williamsburg in mid-1775 and taken his troops to Norfolk, a city of about 6,250, . A prosperous port with elegant homes and exquisite gardens, Norfolk was home to many of the king’s most loyal subjects, shipbuilders and sailmakers and merchants who benefited from London’s laws that gave monopolies to traders.
The secret history of how Jefferson’s words were doctored inside his memorial
The secret history of how Jefferson’s words were doctored inside his memorial (washingtonpost.com) The secret history of how Jefferson’s words were doctored inside his memorial By Michael Kranish 2025110210004100 Jefferson Randolph Kean and six other members of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission filed into the second-floor studio of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, near the White House, at 2 p.m. on Sept. 30, 1941.
As war came to his doorstep, Jefferson fled Monticello but years later returned to power as president.
As war came to his doorstep, Jefferson fled Monticello but years later returned to power as president. (washingtonpost.com) As war came to his doorstep, Jefferson fled Monticello but years later returned to power as president. By Michael Kranish 2025110210005400 Four and a half years had passed since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson, reluctantly serving as governor of Virginia, struggled to lead a state in crisis.
Jefferson’s paradox: How one of the largest slaveholders penned the words “All men are created equal” Original
Jefferson’s paradox: How one of the largest slaveholders penned the words “All men are created equal” (washingtonpost.com) Jefferson’s paradox: How one of the largest slaveholders penned the words “All men are created equal” By Michael Kranish 2025110210005600 On May 14, 1776, after eight days traveling across Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, lodging at simple boardinghouses and dining with locals, Thomas Jefferson boarded a ferry across the Schuylkill River and arrived in clamorous,...
The secret history of how Jefferson’s words were doctored inside his memorial
The secret history of how Jefferson’s words were doctored inside his memorial (washingtonpost.com) The secret history of how Jefferson’s words were doctored inside his memorial By Michael Kranish 2025110210004100 Jefferson Randolph Kean and six other members of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission filed into the second-floor studio of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, near the White House, at 2 p.m. on Sept. 30, 1941.
Ask us about Epstein, midterms and America Original
Ask us about Epstein, midterms and America Chief political correspondent Karen Tumulty will be joined by Michael Kranish, author of our series exploring Thomas Jefferson’s America, for her chat on Thursday at 12 p.m. ET. November 13, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. EST
How Trump’s personal attorney wound up investigating the Epstein case at DOJ
How Trump’s personal attorney wound up investigating the Epstein case at DOJ (washingtonpost.com) How Trump’s personal attorney wound up investigating the Epstein case at DOJ By Shayna Jacobs; Michael Kranish 2025073109000000 Five months ago, Todd Blanche was asked at his Senate confirmation hearing whether being President Donald Trump's lawyer in his hush money trial and other cases meant he would have a "continuing duty of loyalty and confidentiality" to his former client even after...
How Peter Navarro went from Democrat to inmate to Trump’s tariff guru
One year ago, Peter Navarro sat in a federal prison in Miami, sending messages that he was a martyr for MAGA. He had begged for help paying legal bills that he said would reach $750,000.
How Peter Navarro went from Democrat to inmate to Trump’s tariff guru
How Peter Navarro went from Democrat to inmate to Trump’s tariff guru (washingtonpost.com) How Peter Navarro went from Democrat to inmate to Trump’s tariff guru By Michael Kranish; Jeff Stein 2025042614000000 One year ago, Peter Navarro sat in a federal prison in Miami, sending messages that he was a martyr for MAGA. He had begged for help paying legal bills that he said would reach $750,000.
U.S. and Russian officials to discuss how to end Ukraine war
Trump administration officials are preparing to meet with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to start talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, a major departure from the Biden administration’s reluctance to engage Moscow on the deadly conflict. “We’ll be having meetings at the direction of the president and hopefully we’ll make some really good progress with regard to Russia-Ukraine,” U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday.
U.S. and Russian officials to discuss how to end Ukraine war
Continue reading More for You
How Rubio, once an avid USAID supporter, came to oversee its gutting
When Marco Rubio testified during his confirmation to become secretary of state, he said that one of the things that frustrated him the most about the U.S. Agency for International Development was that it didn’t “brag” enough to show other countries “what the United States is doing to help their societies.” The comment followed years of praise from Rubio for the billions of dollars in lifesaving aid that USAID distributed overseas to boost America’s image and counter the influence of rivals...
Rubio nomination complicated by attack on Musk’s Tesla and China’s ban
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Rubio nomination complicated by attack on Musk's Tesla and China's ban
When Sen. Marco Rubio escalated hisbroadsides against the Chinese government over what he called a "grotesque campaign of genocide" against Uyghur Muslims, Beijing responded in 2020 with an extraordinary rebuke: banning the Florida Republicanfrom the country.
Rubio nomination complicated by attack on Musk’s Tesla and China’s ban
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., front left, heads to the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 21, 2024. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) When Sen. Marco Rubio escalated his broadsides against the Chinese government over what he called a “grotesque campaign of genocide” against Uyghur Muslims, Beijing responded in 2020 with an extraordinary rebuke: banning the Florida Republican from the country.
Trump picks billionaire financier for deputy defense secretary
President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday night announced that he will nominate Stephen Feinberg, a billionaire political supporter who has been involved in the defense contracting business, to the job of deputy defense secretary. The announcement on Trump's social media came as it continues to be unclear whether Trump's choice for top Defense Department post, Pete Hegseth, has enough support for confirmation in the Senate.
Hegseth's history with alcohol shadows Pentagon selection
By Pete Hegseth's account, his heavy drinking began after a brush with death when an RPG ricocheted off his vehicle but didn't explode while serving in Iraq with an Army infantry unit. When he returned home to a Manhattan apartment after the deployment ended in 2006, disconnected from the people he served with while his wife at the time worked long hours, he turned to alcohol, he said. "I'd look around at 10 o'clock and be like, 'What am I going to do today? How about I drink some beers?
Trump tried to limit financial conflicts in 2016. This time could be different.
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Trump tried to limit financial conflicts in 2016. This time could be different.
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Trump will take office with more potential conflicts of interest than in first term
Democracy Dies in Darkness Donald Trump speaks after being declared the winner during an election night watch party at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the early hours of Nov. 6.
Trump defense pick Pete Hegseth paid accuser but denies sexual assault, attorney says
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement, though he maintained that their encounter was consensual, according to a statement from his lawyer Saturday and other documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Defense pick Hegseth paid accuser but denies sexual assault, attorney says
Pete Hegseth arrives at Trump Tower in New York in November 2016. (Evan Vucci/AP) Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement, though he maintained that their encounter was consensual, according to astatement from his lawyer Saturday and other documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Defense pick Pete Hegseth paid accuser but denies sexual assault, attorney says
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement, though he maintained that their encounter was consensual, according to astatement from his lawyer Saturday and other documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Defense pick Hegseth paid accuser but denies sexual assault, attorney says
Continue reading More for You
Defense nominee Pete Hegseth paid woman but denies sexual assault, attorney says
Pete Hegseth on Dec. 31, 2021 in Nashville. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) By Michael Kranish , Josh Dawsey and Jonathan O'Connell November 16, 2024 at 7:25 p.m. EST Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement, though he maintained that their encounter was consensual, according to astatement from his lawyer Saturday and other documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Trump team weighs Pentagon pick after sexual assault allegation surfaces
Senior officials on President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team on Friday weighed the future of Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice to lead the Defense Department, amid new revelations that police investigated an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017.
Trump team weighs Pentagon pick after sexual assault allegation
Hegseth has been married three times, according to court records. He married his first wife, Meredith, in his early 20s and they divorced in 2009, according to Minnesota court filings. The couple agreed that the reasons for the split were an “irretrievable breakdown” of the marriage and Hegseth’s “infidelity,” according to a filing in their divorce case. She declined to comment. He married his second wife, Samantha, in 2010.
Trump team weighs Pentagon pick after sexual assault allegation surfaces
|
Continue reading More for You
By Michael Kranish, Josh Dawsey Verified, Hannah Knowles Verified, Jonathan O'Connell Verified, John Hudson Verified
|
MSN
Verified
Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth was investigated for alleged sexual assault
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, was investigated for an alleged sexual assault in 2017 by police in Monterey, California, the city said in a statement. The city’s statement did not say what happened to the case or provide any indication that charges were considered against Hegseth.
Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth was investigated for alleged sexual assault
Continue reading More for You
Gaetz nomination brings new focus on underage sex allegations
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Gaetz nomination brings new focus on underage sex allegations
Matt Gaetz’s nomination as attorney general has reopened a central question that has been probed by the Justice Department he now hopes to lead, and by the Congress from which he just resigned: Did he engage in sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl and violate sex-trafficking laws? After the Justice Department dropped its investigationinto those explosive allegationsin 2023, the House Ethics Committee restarted its probe into Gaetz, and it was slated to release its report Friday.
Matt Gaetz nomination as AG brings new focus to underage sex allegations
Matt Gaetz speaks at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Henderson, Nevada, on October 31. (Mike Blake/Reuters) By Michael Kranish , Perry Stein and Ann E.
Trump’s win is his greatest resurrection in a career of comebacks
Advertisement 1 • You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account. Article content Once again, Donald Trump was down and out. This time, he faced dozens of felony charges, a civil conviction for sexual abuse and 34 criminal convictions in a New York business fraud case – not to mention the ongoing political wreckage from his failed attempt to hold onto power after losing to Joe Biden. Advertisement 2 Don't have an account?
Trump’s win is his greatest resurrection in a career of comebacks
Democracy Dies in Darkness Donald Trump at the grand opening of his Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City on April 5, 1990. The next year, the casino went into bankruptcy. (Mike Derer/AP) By Michael Kranish November 6, 2024 at 5:40 a.m. EST Once again, Donald Trump was down and out.
Tony West, Harris’s brother-in-law, is corporate insider and campaign adviser
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Tony West, Harris’s brother-in-law, is corporate insider and campaign adviser
Vice President Kamala Harris, with her brother-in-law Tony West, waves before boarding Air Force Two as she departs on campaign travel to Milwaukee on July 23. (Kevin Mohatt/Pool/AP) By Michael Kranish , Tyler Pager and Cat Zakrzewski October 29, 2024 at 9:22 a.m. EDT As Kamala Harris ran for president in 2019, labor unrest roiled Silicon Valley, with contractors demanding better pay and benefits from ride-hailing companies.
These five tumultuous years in Montreal shaped Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris, third from left, in a photo from the 1981 yearbook for Westmount High in Montreal. (Westmount High School) By Michael Kranish October 13, 2024 at 6:00 a.m. EDT MONTREAL — Kamala Harris was just starting her freshman year at a high school in Quebec when, as one of her classmates recalled, “all hell broke loose.” After years of deepening conflict over the French-speaking majority’s treatment, a political party advocating political separation from Canada had recently taken power.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Michael
Contact Michael, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack